The Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj is headed by Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Hon’ble Minister of State for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj who are assisted by Secretary to Government Rural Development Department who is of the rank of IAS. Below him there are three Additional Secretaries of the rank of senior KAS and two Under Secretaries.

At the provincial level, the Directorate is headed by the Director Rural Dev. who is a major head of the Department in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Book of financial powers. The post is held by senior KAS/IAS officers. He exercises the administrative and the financial control over the whole of the province and is assisted by Joint Director, (Planning) Deputy Director (Adm), District Panchayat Officer (Publicity) Accounts Officer and other ministerial staff to carry out the day to day working in the Directorate.

The Joint Director, (Planning) deals with the Planning process in respect of formulation of the plans at the provincial level and their submission to the Govt. for approval of the Planning and Development Deptt. He monitors the schemes being implemented in the field and provides necessary assistance to the Director Rural Development in effective implementation of the schemes.

The Deputy Director (Administration) provides assistance to the Director, Rural Development in all the Administrative matters. The assistance is provided on the issues pertaining to establishment, legal matters and also matters relating to disciplinary proceedings, complaints and other issues related to the Administration. He is also designated as the Departmental Vigilance Officer of the Department.

The District Panchayat Officer (Publicity) Assists Director, Rural Development in matters relating to the publicity of schemes and highlighting achievements.

The Block Development Officer (Headquarter) is the Incharge of the Cell established for the disposal of grievances of disabled persons.

The Accounts Officer provides assistance to the Director, Rural Development in the field of financial/accounts matters. He is also the drawing and disbursing officer of the Directorate. He also formulates the budget and monitors the Non Plan expenditure.

The Directorate of Rural Development Jammu exercises control over the following six Districts namely:-

1. Jammu
2. Kathua
3. Udhampur
4. Rajouri
5. Doda
6. Poonch

Besides these 6 Districts, Government of J&K has recently carved out Four Additional Districts in Jammu province with their Headquarters at

1. Samba
2. Reasi
3. Ramban
4. Kishtwar

These four newly created Districts are to resume functioning w.e.f Ist of April, 2007.

The Directorate of Rural Development has units at the District/Block levels. There are 65 CD & NES Blocks functional in Jammu province, out of which 57 Blocks are recognized blocks and 8 blocks are unrecognized.

At the District level, following officers are under the administrative control of the directorate of Rural Development, Jammu.

1. Assistant Commissioner Development
2. Assistant Project, Director DRDA
3. Executive Engineer, REW
4. District Panchayat Officers

At the Block level, there is a Block Development Officer who is assisted by Block Planning Officer, Junior Engineers and other field functionaries like Panchayat Inspectors, V.L.Ws, Mukhi Savikas, Gram Savikas, and MPWs etc.

Assistant Commissioner Development releases the funds to the Block Development Officers for implementation of various works approved under the scheme by the District Development Boards/other competent authorities. Assistant Commissioner Development consolidates the District Plan on the basis of inputs received from the Block Development Officers. The District Plan compiled by him is submitted to the Directorate of Rural Development for technical vetting before it is considered by the District Development Board for approval in its meeting. ACD is competent to accord Administrative Approval of the works involving the estimated cost upto Rs.5.00 lacs in accordance with Govt.Order No.300-Agri of 1996 dated 06-06-1996.

2. Assistant Project Director, (District Rural Development Agency)

In every district there is a District Rural Development Agency with District Development Commissioner as its Chairman assisted by the Assistant Project Director DRDA who is exercising the over all Administrative and Financial control over the affairs of the Agency as well as the scheme implemented by the Block Development Officers.

3. Rural Engineering Wing

Govt has created the post of Superintending Engineer REW vide Govt Order No. 146 RD of 2006 Dated 17-05-2006 to make the engineering wing more effective for creating the quality assets and to give it more teeth.

In every district, there is a Rural Engineering Wing headed by the Executive Engineer who looks after the technical aspects of the execution of works. The Assistant Executive Engineers and Assistant Engineers posted in the district work under his control. He accords technical sanctions of the works involving estimated cost up to Rs.5.00 lacs and also accords test checks of works to ensure quality of works in the District. He is assisted by Junior Engineers and Work Supervisors at the Block/Panchayat level.

4. District Panchayat Officer

At the district level, the matters related to the Panchayats and Panchayat Property/assets are attended to by the District Panchayat Officer. He is assisted by Plantation watcher and Plantation supervisor besides Panchayat Auditor posted in the District. The District Panchayat Officer is also the estates officer of the Department and is implementing and supervising the rural sanitation programme in the district. At the Block Level, such matters are supervised by the Panchayat Inspector and at the Panchayat Level there is a Secretary Panchayat (VLW, Gram Sevika, and MPW).The property of the Panchayats viz. Plantation Nurseries, Panchayat Ghars and other Panchayat Assets are supervised by the Plantation Supervisor/Plantation Watcher and Plantation Helpers.

Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), implemented by the BDOs at Block level is also being monitored by the District Panchayat Officers. The scheme is being implemented by Director, Rural Sanitation.

The District Panchayat Officer is the designated authority for implementation of various provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act.

5. BLOCK LEVEL ADMINISTRATIVE SET UP

At the Block Level, the Block Development Officers is responsible for formulation and implementation of Action Plans under various schemes through the field staff, which comprises of:

I. Panchayat Inspector
II. Junior Engineers
III. Village Level Workers(VLWs)
IV. Mukhi Savikas/Gram Savikas.
V. Multi Purpose Workers(MPWs)
VI. Plantation Supervisors/Watchers.
VII. Chowkidars